Devastation Man
by Canadiagirl
Summary: Years after the end of the story we know, a new generation of ghouls and humans live in a world where violent crime has practically been erased. What happens when ghouls start hunting again? - Based a little off Demolition Man, mostly just my take on a sequel to the mangas. Please review, I want to know what you guys think!
1. Chapter 1

Devastation Man

"The development of cryogenic containment technology allowed for the creation of truly escape-proof prisons, ensuring that no homicidal maniac, insane pedophile or man-eating ghoul would ever plague our society again. And with the passing of the Ghoul Registration Act, all ghouls were ensured a place in the world, employment and food, provided they are registered. Our civilization has entered an age of peace, humans and ghouls living together without fear of violent crime."

* * *

The crowd was thick on the wide pedestrian walkway, thanks to the late-afternoon commuter rush. A small woman pushed through the throng, headed in the opposite direction of the majority of foot traffic. Not looking up from the ground as she walked, she bumped directly into a young man, much taller than her. She mumbled an apology, then attempted to carry on, but he stopped her.

"That ain't it, ghoul." He spat hatefully. He pushed her to the ground. Her bag fell open, spilling assorted office supplies and papers all over the pavement. She fumbled to pick them up, the young man walking off, snickering. Not far away, off to side of the walkway, three teenagers sat on a bench. The youngest, a girl with pale violet hair that hung past her shoulders and covered her right eye, spoke with quiet earnest.

"Should we help?" The middle one, a boy with black hair and dark eyes, shook his head.

"Not our problem." The eldest, with dark purple hair in a short bob, scanned the crowd intently.

"Besides," She added, "Shenji should get here any second." As if on cue, a boy with dark blue hair emerged from the crowd, smiling widely. He was younger than any of the others, and comparatively small. The youngest girl ran up to him.

"Cousin Shenji!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. He laughed, then turned to the others.

"Kana isn't here yet? She usually beats me here." The black-haired boy pointed to a female figure visible not far away.

"There she is." He said simply. The girl had bright orange hair and a sassy grin, as well as a pair of rectangular glasses. She walked up to the group.

"Friends." She nodded at them. "Shenji. I see you got here first for once. Good for you." So the group was assembled. They were not an impressive bunch. None of the kids looked like they had had a good meal in their lives, their clothes wrinkled and patched. The black-haired boy rose.

"Now that we're all here, we should head to where we're actually going." He stated, then began descending the staircase that lead below the pedestrian walkway. The two girls who were with him, his sisters, followed suit. Shenji and Kana exchanged glances. Kana shrugged.

"Hey, Sasaki?" She asked the boy, who halted on the steps to look at her.

"Yes?"

"Where exactly are we going?" Sasaki smiled and continued down the stairs.

"We're going to get our freedom."

A small shop, box-shaped and bearing a sign that read "Computer services" sat beneath the concrete pathway. Inside, the five teens convened.

"This is the place that'll grant us freedom? Looks like a computer mausoleum." Kana commented. All around them in assorted boxes were computer parts of all kinds. A small area of exposed counter was empty, lit by a grimy desk lamp. Kana rang the bell next to it. Suddenly, as if by magic, a young blond man appeared. His hair was smooth and combed elegantly. He addressed the eldest girl of the group.

"Akira, it's a pleasure as always." She rolled her eyes.

"We're not here to chat, Hirako." She looked around the dusty shop and lowered her voice. "We're getting out of the system." He looked a little stunned.

"All of you at once? I don't know if I've ever done that many de-registrations in under an hour.." He trailed off. "But hey, it's a challenge! Exciting!" He clapped his hands. "Now, to the back! Allons-y!"

Hirako was into the CGC logs within minutes, leafing through the digital registration files. When he found the one he needed, he cleared it of data, deleted the file, then covered his tracks.

"Like I was never there. Heck, like that file never existed! Those pigeons won't know the difference." His hacks were smooth and efficient. He erased all five of the young ghouls from the system within the hour. As he finished, the twirled his chair around to face them. "Congrats kids, you're free. What're you gonna do now?" Sasaki was already getting up as he answered.

"Get some real food." He smiled deviously, and Hirako did

the same. The teenage ghouls left the shop, and Hirako was alone once again. He sighed thoughtfully.

"Can't help but worry at what I've released into the world." He shrugged, and got back into his work.

* * *

Eight Months Later

"We haven't seen anything like this since before the Last Raid." Kagerou Tarano tossed the bundle of papers down onto the table before the five young Agents. He seated himself at the head of the table, setting his hands on its surface while he waited for the file to be passed around. Takeshi Shikarada , a young man of near twenty with blazing pink hair and large round glasses, shunted the packet to his neighbour.

"Statistics like these would indicate a large population of actively feeding ghouls." He said matter-of-factly. Next to him, Suzuku Ano, a woman with wavy, pale green hair sent the file across the table.

"Which is something we shouldn't have anymore." She said. "Right?" Roshi Tanegashi, nineteen, with unruly chocolate-brown hair, nodded.

"That means we aren't doing our jobs very well." He leaned back on his chair, handing the papers over. Taking them and flipping through them nonchalantly, Furine Obito, with hair the colour of grape soda, commented.

"Well, it's not like it's our fault." She passed the papers to her neighbour. "All those old Investigators died when the CCG fell. We don't have anyone who knows how to deal with ghouls anymore." The final agent, twenty-one with hair as black as the void, Arino Kageto spoke excitedly.

"Yeah, one of those cool guys like Amon Kotarou, or Akira Mado..."

"Akira Mado was a woman." Said Kagerou. Arino continued.

"Or Stitches!" He clasped his hands and trembled a bit. The subject of Arino's eternal obsession, "Stitches" was the name given to an Investigator whose real name had been lost. He was called this on account of the stitches he apparently had in his skin. Little was known of him, except that he was very strong and had killed many ghouls, back when that kind of thing was necessary. The others at the table tried their best to ignore Arino while Kagerou explained.

"These are the murders and missing person cases for the last eight months. Notice they rise but maintain a steady relation with the apparent drop in registered Ghoul populations." He had a larger version of the graphs on the wall behind him. "Now people, what does this mean?" Takeshi raised his hand.

"This would mean that ghouls are somehow un-registering themselves and returning to murdering ways. But Tarano-San, shouldn't that be impossible?" Kagerou grunted. He had been twenty on the night of the Last Raid. Eighteen years had passed since then, but his memories of the carnage remained. He strode to the window and opened it, exposing the young Agents to the bright sunlight. He looked out over the seemingly endless expanse of Tokyo, face grave. He turned back to the five people seated at the table.

"Yes, Level two Shikarada. But it's going on. Those ghoul monsters are out killing people again." He slammed his large hands down on the table, startling everyone except Takeshi. "We can't let eighteen years of peace just end. We have to do something." The room was silent. Arino looked up from twiddling his thumbs.

"Level one Tarano?" He piped up. Kagerou looked a bit incredulous, but responded.

"Yes, Level three Kageto?" Arino continued.

"I've been doing some digging, in the surviving files from the main CCG archives. I think I've found someone who could help us."

The five young Agents, as well as Kagerou, were crowded around the computer in Arino's cramped office/lab area. Arino pulled up an image of a scorched paper.

"This file was heavily redacted, but from what I've read, it tells of an Investigator being frozen over twenty years ago and kept in Cochlea with the captured ghouls. It was kept secret from the Commission, and it was spread around that he had been killed." He tapped a few keys and pulled up another document. This one was much more recent. "This is a document from Cochlea prisoner records. This prisoner, number 10111, was a ghoul Investigator, and was frozen at the same time as the other file says. I think this guy could help us." He turned to his colleagues with an eager look on his face. Suzuku leaned in, reading off his screen.

"It says the guy was frozen for killing his own teammate, on purpose." She looked to Arino. "Is this really a guy we want to defrost?" Roshi shrugged.

"If he can help us do our jobs and get those ghouls under control." He looked around at his unsure colleagues. "I say we go find this guy."

Ever since being converted to a cryogenic facility, Cochlea prison was colder and darker than it had ever been. The five rookie Ghoul Control Agents walked the freezing passages past countless long-frozen ghoul criminals. They were headed deep into the lower parts of the detention facility, to what was once the higher S-rank lockdown area. Furine pulled her jacket tighter around herself.

"It's so damn cold down here! It should only be freezing in those tubes!" She indicated a containment tube as they passed, it's occupant visible through the frosty transparent front. Suzuku glanced at it in passing.

"Not bad-looking, for a ghoul. I like that blue hair." She commented to no one in particular. The five climbed into the final elevator that would take them into the very bottom of the prison.

The bottom level of Cochlea was small, only twelve meters across, a circle of cryogenic tubes occupied by the most dangerous ghouls known to man. Arino stopped in front of one.

"This is it guys, prisoner 10111." They all gathered in front of the clear tube. Roshi spoke up.

"He's smaller than I expected." It was true, the man in the tube was quite small. He was shorter than most of the Agents. Furine spoke next.

"He's so weird looking. What's up with his hair?" Arino peered closer at the prisoner. His hair was mostly black, but it seemed to be growing in white at the roots. Arino cleaned condensation off the tube and put his face on the surface. He stared at the inmate's face. Unsticking his cheek from the tube, Arino looked very excited.

"His face has stitches on it!" He announced. He jumped up and down and stared at the tube. "Guys, we found Stitches!" Roshi nodded, pushing Arino away from the frozen inmate. He pressed several buttons on the console next to the tube, and freezing air escaped from it with a loud hiss. Inside the tube, the frost dissipated as the temperature rose. The occupant twitched, then suddenly his eyes opened. They were clear and alert, a rich rosy red. They darted around frantically. Finally the tube opened, and the man fell face first onto the floor. Arino made a sound of frustration.

"Why did nobody catch him? Geez guys!" He crouched next to the man. "Hello? Can you hear me?" Arino was about to poke him when he began to laugh, quietly, then loudly, hysterically. Arino backed off in a start. The small man stood unsteadily, no longer laughing but smiling in rather demented fashion.

"I'M ALIVE!" He declared, in an eerily high voice. He then promptly blacked out, falling into Furine, who screeched.

"He's on top of me! Get him off!" Takeshi, who had said nothing over the entire visit, walked over to Furine and lifted him off of her. Takeshi's eyes widened behind his glasses.

"This guy is heavier than he looks. Roshi, help me with this." Roshi took hold of the legs, and the Agents set off once again, carrying a long-frozen prisoner out of Cochlea. Arino could hardly contain himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Three days later in the medical wing of CGC headquarters, Arino sat in a plastic chair, chin in hands, staring directly at Stitches. He hadn't awoken since they took him off ice. There was a whoosh of automatic doors and in walked Kagerou, followed closely by Takeshi.

"Update?" Kagerou asked. Without looking away, Arino replied.

"About thirty minutes ago he looked like he was having a nightmare, he stopped moving about ten minutes ago now. But still not waking." He leaned all the way back on his chair, meeting eyes with Takeshi. He sighed. "This is great, isn't it? We dug this guy out of Cochlea, and he's the guy I've loved since I heard of him. What'll it be like to work under a legend?" A meter away, the blue hospital bedspread rustled. Immediately, Arino was facing the bed again. All eyes fell on the bed's occupant, who was finally opening his eyes again. He fully sat up and shook his head violently, causing his bicolored hair to fluff up and resettle. He threw the covers off, then visibly recoiled. Seemingly noticing the others for the first time, he swept his gaze over the three men.

"Where's my leg?" He asked. Arino looked flustered. Kagerou turned to Takeshi.

"What does he mean?" Takeshi adjusted his glasses, making them glint.

"His right leg was a prosthetic. The doctors removed it during their examination. The nerve grafts were severed as well." Stitches sat on the bed, following the conversation with interest. Takeshi continued. "That tech was almost thirty years old. The progress that's been made in prosthetic limbs since then is considerable." Kagerou nodded.

"You're saying he's getting an upgrade?"

"Yes." Takeshi replied. "They were waiting for him to wake up so they can get started." On the bed, Stitches looked impatient.

"Well I'm awake now!" He said, slapping his hands down on the mattress. Arino seemed to have finally regained enough composure to speak.

"Okay, but what is your name?" He asked. He had clearly waited a long time to ask that. Stitches blinked in surprise.

"Suzuya Juuzhou. Special Class Investigator Suzuya Juuzhou. You guys don't know my name?" He seemed a little offended. Kagerou stepped forward.

"You've missed a few things. Let me bring you up to speed."

It took fifteen minutes to explain to Juuzhou what had happened. He seemed fairly calm about it.

"Twenty-eight years huh? And everybody else is dead?" He fell back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling. "How did that happen?" He asked.

"What, them all being dead?" Arino had been watching and paying close attention. He saw this as a chance to prove his worth. "They were all murdered by ghouls, eighteen years ago in the Last Raid. Almost all the branches burned to the ground, no Investigators who were fully involved survived. It was a massacre." He watched as Juuzhou blew his bangs out of his eyes. Arino's beloved legend of the old Commission had turned out to be rather different than he had imagined. Smaller, for one, but he also seemed.. off, in some way. Arino couldn't put his finger on it. Takeshi stepped forward.

"It's because of the lack of other living Investigators that we thawed you out. We need your knowledge, your experience with these things." Juuzhou sat up, tilting his head quizzically.

"What things? Oh!" He clapped his hands, smiling. "You need me to help you kill ghouls!" Kagerou scratched his head, smiling awkwardly.

"Ah, yes. We need you to help kill ghouls." Juuzhou was positively ecstatic.

"Well then what are we waiting for!"

"Your leg, Suzuya-San." Takeshi interjected helpfully.

"Oh, right."

* * *

That Night, 20th Ward

The young ghoul walked the alleyways, watching every shadow. He slipped between patches of light and darkness, finally arriving at the door to the private apartment, he opened it cautiously, entering and taking one last peek around the door before shutting it.

He stepped into the apartment where his companions waited. His little sister jumped up off the couch when he came in.

"Sasaki! I missed you nii-chan!" She hugged him. He chuckled.

"I missed you too Mari." Their older sister got up.

"Anything?" She asked Sasaki. He shook his head.

"Nothing. You know this guy's been evading the CGC for it's entire existence, right?" He hung his jacket up, sighing. "We probably won't find him unless he wants to be found." He flung himself down on the couch across from his sisters. "Where's Shenji?" He asked. Akira replied.

"He's at his mom's. She's trying to get him to stop, get registered again, just live under the system." She shook her head. "He said he'd be back tomorrow." Sasaki smiled to himself. He could imagine his father in an apartment just like this one, planning with his allies to take down their enemies. It was rather ironic that it was only in these last eight months, when their very existence had become illegal, that these ghouls had finally had enough to eat. The allowances that registered ghouls were given each month were not nearly enough, and families especially had suffered for it. Sasaki's parents had fought to change that, and it had cost them their lives. Now, many young ghouls were taking up that fight. And Sasaki knew no one could stand in their way. Kana strolled in, glancing at Sasaki and waving to him before walking out the door. She had taken to their outlaw status especially well, earning herself the name of 'one-eyed terror' amongst the other ghouls. Her half-blood heritage made her special, though not necessarily in a good way. The last half-ghoul of note, Takatsuki Sen, was credited with starting the chain of events that led to the Ghoul Registration Act. Sasaki wished he could be as confident as Kana. His father's legacy was heavy on him, and he wasn't sure he could live up to the legend that was Kaneki Ken. Across from him, his sisters shared a glance. They seemed to be picking up on his thoughts.

"We know you just want to make dad proud." Said Akira. Sasaki nodded. Akira continued.

"We all want to honour our parent's memory. Sasaki, we want to help you." Mari nodded.

"But you aren't even letting us come out with you, so..." She trailed off. Even eight months later, she had barely ever gone out at night. Akira had been on a few of her own hunts, but only in the last month or so, after nagging Sasaki nonstop. Despite her being the eldest sibling, Sasaki had cast himself in the role of 'protective older brother'. It may have been partially due to him being the one to inherit their father's strong rinkaku-type kagune. But to Mari's mind this was very unfair. Sasaki was about to speak, but Mari stopped him.

"No," She told him. "I'm as much of an adult now as you and deserve to be treated as such." She paused, thinking briefly. Sasaki almost spoke, but was cut off again. "I know, I haven't been able to use my kagune, even now that we have enough to eat. But I'm still not totally helpless." Sasaki could only stare at the floor, making his decision. He knew he probably couldn't stop her if she wanted to go out, and she would be safer with him than on her own.

"Fine." He conceded. "You can come with me when I next head out." Mari squealed happily.

"Thank you nii-chan!" She threw herself across the coffee table to hug him. He returned it, while Akira looked on, smiling quietly.

* * *

The Next Morning, CGC Branch, 13th Ward

Juuzhou spun the swivel chair, obviously enjoying himself. The prosthetists in the Medical Wing had worked all night, and the result was a new leg nearly indistinguishable from the old one. Except to Juuzhou, of course.

"It still feels weird. But it's nice to be where I belong again." The 13th ward branch of the old CCG was one of the few buildings to survive the Last Raid, mostly intact. The office where the five young Agents and the newly defrosted Investigator were was one of the few rooms that had had all four walls standing, and it happened to be the Branch Chief's office. Juuzhou's old office. The young men and women watched their new ranking officer spinning in his chair and shared a look of collective dread. Except Arino, who was finally coming down from his fanboy high. The chair gradually slowed to a stop, giving all five Agents a full view of Juuzhou. He had found an old white shirt to wear, as well as short black pants he rolled up past the knees. His suspenders were mismatched, rainbow striped on the left and red on black polka dots on the right. He had found some old hairpins, bright red ones, and had pinned his bangs up so the pins formed two X shapes. All in all, he looked quite odd, which was just what he wanted. He looked over his new disciples with interest, and they did the same to him. He scooted his chair forward just a bit.

"So," He began. "You all want to learn how to kill ghouls?" The five nodded, unsure. This seemed to please Juuzhou immensely. He smiled like a crazy person. "Great!" He exclaimed. Then he looked more serious. "You." He pointed directly at Takeshi. Takeshi regarded him from behind his glasses, cool as ever. Juuzhou's finger was a centimeter from his nose. "You're the smart one aren't you. Do you know what Quinques are?" He asked. Takeshi pushed his glasses up.

"Of course. The weapons of ghoul Investigators, made from the kagune of the ghouls they've killed." Juuzhou nodded approvingly.

"Good." He praised. Then he turned to the rest of them. "Who else knew that?" Only Arino and Suzuku raised their hands. Juuzhou huffed, crossing his arms. "I have my work cut out for me." He got up and began walking out of the room. He looked behind him expectantly. "Come on kids. We're going somewhere fun."

'Somewhere fun' apparently meant a vacant lot when Juuzhou said it. He seemed surprised to find nothing there when they arrived.

"What happened to the 12th ward branch! It was here before!" He exclaimed. The property was surrounded by plywood and chain link fence, but there was nothing there but weeds and rubble. Roshi spoke up.

"12th ward was one of the branches that didn't survive." He explained, tone sympathetic. But Juuzhou wasn't listening. He was already over the fence before any of the young Agents could react. They shared a blank stare, then Arino attacked the fence, climbing over it and landing on the other side. Furine shrugged and followed. Soon all five were on the other side. They found their new teacher attempting to open a partially buried metal hatch in the ground. Suzuku stared at him confusedly.

"What are you trying to do?" She asked.

"Open. The. Vault." He answered between yanks on the hatch. The others arrived, forming a small knot around the hatch. Arino didn't hesitate to help his hero, and after a few more yanks, the hatch opened, causing the two men to fall backward onto the ground. Immediately, Juuzhou was up again and headed down the hatch. The Agents didn't follow right away, sharing a look of confusion. Juuzhou poked his head up through the hatch.

"You have to get down here." At that, he disappeared into the hole again. For the third time that day, the five young people followed him into the unknown.

* * *

Ghoul Residences, 20th Ward

"Mom, please. I can make my own decisions." Shenji stood facing his mother in the small kitchen of the residential unit. The collection of red-brick apartment buildings predated the Ghoul Registration Act by a few years, but had been repurposed when the government became aware of the lack of legal residences for ghouls. The apartments were small, too small for the families that occupied some. Shenji had lived here with his mother all his life, and it was apparent that she didn't want that to change. She looked away from him, shutting her eyes.

"I don't understand why you keep doing these things. And don't try to lie about it." She sniffed the air purposefully. "I can smell those Kaneki children on you." Twenty years out of action had not dampened Hinami's sense of smell. Shenji groaned softly.

"Yes, that's where I've been living, with the Kanekis." He looked at his feet. "And Kana." His mother shook her head.

"That girl is trouble. And so are you." She looked deep into his eyes. "I know I can't stop you. I could never stop your father." She looked up wistfully. "I just don't want lose you like I did him. Be careful son." Shenji nodded, and left. Hinami walked over to her small living area, peeking through the curtains of her window. Clouds cast shadows over the vast flatland of rooftops. She sighed to herself. She had spent far too much time on those rooftops.


	3. Chapter 3

AN- Hey, this is the last chapter I have fully preprinted, so no telling when chapter four will be up, but hopefully soon, right? Anyway, I love this chapter so here we go!

* * *

CCG Quinque Vault, 12th Ward

"You mean all of these once belonged to real Investigators?" Arino was in awe of the huge underground space. At least forty meters of steel shelves ran the length of the room, each one completely filled with what appeared to be suitcases or briefcases. Juuzhou looked at Arino impatiently.

"Yes, that's what I said." He did a quick head count while everyone was still together. It was easy to get lost in the vast storage area, and he intended to make sure all his students survived at least until their first field mission. "And one of them belongs to me." He scanned the shelving in vain. "Somewhere." He mumbled, then set off in search of his beloved Jason. The young Agents could only watch him leave. Roshi ran his hand over a row of dust-coated cases.

"Hard to believe there were ever this many ghoul Investigators." Takeshi answered from the other side of the shelf.

"Some Investigators had more then one. This Mado person had many." The shelves were organized by Investigator rank, from Special Class on the far right to Third Class on the left. The entry hatch was right in the middle, between First and Second Class. Suzuku and Furine perused a shelf side by side.

"Plenty of famous names here. Kotarou, Shinohara, wow no way!" Suzuku pulled out a fairly plain case. "Sasaki Haise." She said this quietly, but Arino somehow heard and was there in seconds.

"What?! The Sasaki Haise?" Arino was freaking out. Sasaki Haise was known as Arima's heir, but not much was known of him other than how great of a fighter he was, and the rumours that he had been a ghoul. Arino, of course, thought he was amazing, a legend on par with Arima Kishou himself. Furine, who had grabbed the case before Arino could, opened it. The Quinque was simple, with the appearance of a sword. It was heavier than she had expected, so she handed it off to Suzuku, who then passed it around to Arino. "Wow." He was totally in awe. The atmosphere changed suddenly as the five heard their instructor's yelp of joy.

"Finally!" Juuzhou cried. He pulled the large white case off the shelf, stumbling back a bit. Carrying the case, wearing a huge grin, he ran to the hatch and climbed the ladder without even slowing down. As always, the Agents could only follow.

In the vacant lot above, Juuzhou had already opened his Quinque and was swinging it around wildly. Arino, who like always had followed his idol immediately, poked his head through the hole in the ground and gasped. From behind him, Furine whined.

"You're in the way, otaku!"

"Oh sorry." He climbed out. The others followed, carefully staying out of scythe-swing range as they awaited further orders. Roshi, last out of the hole, shut the hatch behind him. He reflected on his and his comrades situation. Who knew if they would even survive what was to come? Juuzhou launched himself into the air, did a backflip and landed perfectly, then bowed to his new squad. He planted the shaft of his Quinque in the dirt and addressed them.

"Now I can really start training you guys!" He was far too excited. "Be at the 13th Ward branch by eight AM tomorrow! Be ready." The young Agents could only wonder what was in store for them.

* * *

That Night, 14th Ward

"He was last seen around here." Sasaki and his sisters were doing their best not to look suspicious whilst searching the shadows for any glimpse of their target. As usual it had been a quiet night, without confrontation. The registered ghoul population still far outnumbered the unregistered, and even they were much more subdued than the years before the Last Raid. Back home in the 20th Ward, the young ghouls got into fights because they were stressed. Here, the ghoul population was older, mostly single, registered individuals, who had known life before the GRA. Mari, who was glad just to be out of the apartment at night, kept up the conversation.

"Why are we trying to find this guy again?" She asked, looking legitimately confused. Her siblings looked a little frustrated.

"Because he knew our parents." Akira responded. She watched the street, which was empty aside from a hooded figure some distance away. Mari kept at it.

"You knew our parents." Akira shook her head.

"Only until I was four. I can't really remember them." They continued down the street as the hooded figure stayed where it was. Sasaki remained silent, fearing this night would be a bust just like every night before. Mari had one last statement.

"Wouldn't he be super old anyway?" She said somewhat loudly. The hooded figure, who was now only about a meter in front of them, turned around.

"Not super old." Said Uta, smiling at them.

* * *

"What, no response?" The kids were too surprised to say a word. They could only stand there, awestruck. Perhaps he wasn't what they were expecting, but none of the siblings had really had any idea what to expect. They knew the mask-maker of their parent's time by reputation only. He was a little shorter than Akira, and had thrown off his hood to reveal his unique hairstyle. One side was long, mostly black with a little blonde streaking. The other side was short fuzz, like it had been shaved off awhile ago. His ears were full of piercings, some shiny silver, others matte black. His tattoos were as they had been described, the Latin phrase wrapped elegantly around his neck. His smile was welcoming, and though he was at least in his fifties, he didn't look much older than thirty. He waited patiently for the younger ghouls to come back to reality.

"Any time you're ready." He said. Mari was first to speak.

"Are you Uta?" She asked a little too loudly. Akira grabbed her shoulders and moved her aside.

"Yes he is. It's nice to finally meet you, sir." He held up a hand.

"Please, just Uta. Now, who exactly are you?"

* * *

"Oh, so you're Kaneki's kids?" Uta leaned back on the couch. "That makes sense." They were in Uta's apartment, which looked to be a repurposed bar, enjoying coffee and snacks. Sasaki picked an eyeball from the tray and popped it in his mouth. Uta continued.

"You look exactly like him." The siblings shared a glance between them. They weren't quite sure why they were there, now that they had found whom they had been searching for for so long. Uta's eyes glowed as he watched them. Sasaki spoke for the first time that evening.

"You were a friend of our father's, right?" He said. "We never really got to meet our parents." He paused, nodding to his sisters, who returned the gesture. "We had hoped, maybe you could tell us about our father." Uta looked up at the low ceiling, sighing to himself.

"When I first met your father, he was about twenty at the time, I had no idea what was in store for him. Neither did he, of course. Your mother brought him in to the shop so I could take his measurements for his mask. He laid eyes on me, and he looked so scared." He chuckled to himself. "By the end of that year, that person was gone." Uta shrugged and sipped his coffee. The young ghouls across from him were shocked. Akira looked sceptical.

"What do you mean, 'gone'?" She asked, tone incredulous. Uta shook his head.

"The part of Kaneki Ken that would ever show fear disappeared. Eventually, every trace his old self went away." He paused, letting his words sink in. "After the battle at Anteiku, he vanished. Then, he showed up as a ghoul Investigator, going by Haise Sasaki, with no memory of his life before. Imagine your mother's shock when he brought his squad to the café. A lesser woman would have fainted. He even came to my shop. Had me make masks for his subordinates, so they could pose as ghouls. What a thing that must have been." He took another sip from his coffee, considering the young ghouls before him. How long had they searched for him? Mari couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Thanks so much for letting us into your home, and telling us all that!" She broke through the silence quite effectively. Her siblings laughed, and so did Uta.

The sun was beginning to rise outside the apartment when the three ghouls were leaving. It had been a long time coming, but they had found one of the few remaining living souls who had known their parents. And, thought Sasaki, they had found the one who would provide them with that essential element of the ghoul identity: their masks. Mari stretched her arms above her head.

"That was a long night!" She exclaimed. "I'm tired now." Akira smiled in her direction.

"So am I. But that was worth it, right Sasaki?" She glanced at her brother.

"Absolutely worth it." He agreed. And so they returned home.


	4. Chapter 4

That Morning, 13th Ward CGC Branch

Takeshi was already there when Suzuku and Furine showed up at the building. The sun had been up for a half hour already, and it cast warm rays down on the streets. Takeshi was reading some kind of file, and when Suzuku got closer she could it see it was marked "Psychological profile: Suzuya, Rei". She sat down next to him, peering over his shoulder at the document. Takeshi looked at her, face neutral as always.

"Do you mind?" He asked. Suzuku rolled her eyes.

"Oh I'm sorry, was I reading too loud for you?" She said sarcastically. He looked back at the file, apparently done with the conversation. Suzuku continued with her own reading, interested. The file was clearly one of the few rescued from the main CCG archives in the aftermath of the Last Raid. Some of the edges of the documents were scorched. The information in the file was compiled from several sessions, and as Suzuku read on, she understood why: Three of the five psychologists sent to evaluate the subject didn't survive their sessions. Suzuku gasped aloud. What kind of monster was this guy? She got up and moved to sit with Furine on another bench. With one minute to spare before the clock struck eight, Roshi appeared, with Arino in tow. Arino sat next to Takeshi and smiled, looking pleased with himself.

"I had to dig that one out from under a pile of ashes and debris." He said. Takeshi didn't spare him a glance.

"That must have been difficult for you." This irritated Arino.

"You're darn right it was difficult! I take my job as archivist very seriously." Suddenly, the bells of the nearby church began tolling the hour. With a loud clack, the automated locks on the Branch office doors disengaged. All eyes shifted to the doors. When nothing cataclysmic happened, the Agents each got up and headed inside. None knew what was in store for them.

* * *

Suzuya was waiting for his disciples in the huge, long unused, training hall. Being mostly underground, it was another part of the building that had remained largely untouched by the Last Raid or the restoration workers. The walls still bore the marks of the savage training regimen Suzuya had put his old squad through. He remembered those days fondly. He wondered if he should go make sure his new squad weren't lost. He shrugged. They were probably fine.

* * *

"I don't know where anything is!" Arino exclaimed. Furine crossed her arms irritably, looking around at her comrades.

"Does anyone else have a clue where we should be going?" When no one spoke up, she huffed and started down the hallway. "If only this place had big maps on the walls, like at the mall." She said to no one in particular. Roshi jogged to catch up with her.

"Where are you going so fast? I thought we didn't know where to go." Furine looked exasperated.

"If we're here for training, we should go to the training room, don't you think?" Roshi looked blankly at Arino, who shrugged.

"But how do you know where to go?" He asked. Suzuku caught up with them.

"She did her orientation here, back when she first joined up." Furine nodded.

"There's a big, old training hall in the basement of this place. If I was a crazy Investigator from before the GRA, that's where I'd be." No one could argue with that. So they all followed Furine down the hallway into the depths of the 13th ward CGC branch.

* * *

It was almost eight twenty by the time the Agents reached the training hall. Juuzhou had covered the entire south wall in chalk drawings. He waved cheerfully at his trainees.

"I thought I would have to go and get you!" He yelled across the room. "But you managed to get here only twenty minutes late." The young Agents lined up in the middle of the room while Juuzhou addressed them. "First, I need to know one thing. Do you get basic combat training from the Commission anymore?" He stood in front of them with his hands on his hips, like a small and purposeful army general. Roshi answered.

"Not really Suzuya-san. We get basic self-defence training, but that's all." Juuzhou shook his head, disappointed.

"Well that's no use against ghouls!" He said aloud, then crossed his arms and thought about it. He had hoped he wouldn't have to teach them all to fight from the beginning. What was the Commission coming to, not teaching it's recruits such a crucial thing? Oh well, he sighed internally. He would have to improvise. He clapped his hands, drawing his juniors attention back to him. "Okay, here's what were gonna do. Since the best way to learn a thing is by doing it, that's what you'll be doing." The Agents shared a worried glance. Juuzhou continued. "If you manage to take me down, you win. But if I take you down, you're out." Arino swallowed audibly. Takeshi adjusted his glasses, and Suzuku took a steady stance. Juuzhou smiled threateningly, his eyes glinting. "Come at me."

* * *

Three Hours Later

"I'm sore in places I didn't know I had." Arino declared, falling backward onto his bed and wincing. The young Agents were setting up their new rooms in the small dormitory wing of the 13th ward branch. Roshi smiled sympathetically in his direction.

"I don't think I've ever been beat down like that. Suzuya-san is a beast." He looked over at Takeshi, who showed no sign of even being tired after their three hours of pain. He sat on his bunk, reading his book in silence. Roshi shook his head. This was going to be like high school all over again. Except the teacher is psycho, he thought.

"At least it's over for today." Suzuku said, opening the curtains of their dorm windows to reveal a vista over several kilometres of rooftops. Furine nodded from her bed, where she tried to get comfortable despite her many new bruises.

"I can't believe this is how he treated his squad back in the CCG." She said. Suzuku shrugged.

"It was a different time. An Investigator's main job was to combat ghouls. And now that's our job." She thought of Kagerou, who would be handling the theoretical aspect of their training. He was still struggling with the trauma from the one time he had to fight ghouls. Would that be her someday? She shuddered at the thought. How could Suzuya-san be so casual about it? She supposed he had plenty of experience.

* * *

20th Ward

The apartment was full again that morning. After last night, the Kaneki siblings had called a group meeting of sorts. Shenji carried a tray of coffee into the living area and set it down. He had only gotten back last night, to find no one but Kana in the apartment.

"So you actually met Uta?" He asked, awestruck. His mother had told him of the reclusive ghoul but it amazed him that his friends had been able to make contact. Akira nodded.

"We talked awhile, he measured our heads, it was an informative experience." Mari grabbed her mug from the tray rather eagerly.

"He wants you and Kana to come over too. He's gonna make masks for us all." Kana couldn't contain her excitement.

"Wow, awesome! I can't wait!" Sasaki smiled, a major show of emotion for him.

"Having masks will contribute to our free ghoul image. It will help us lead our new crusade and take down the Commission once and for all." His statement was met with silence. He sipped his coffee casually. Smiling again, Kana punched him in the arm. He flinched, then smiled back at her.

"Come on. You're not the only revolutionary in the room." Kana said, gesturing to the others. "Don't be that way." Akira put her mug down.

"The big rally is a month away now. We're all nervous. You have to remember it isn't just you. Even dad had friends." Mari elbowed her.

"And he had mom. Nothing like a lovely lady to keep a guy motivated." They all laughed. Shenji stopped first and the room fell silent.

"Seriously though guys, what are going to do for the rally? Aren't we expecting something like six hundred ghouls?" He asked.

"Maybe more, if we can get some of the more distant wards involved." Akira answered. The ghouls shared a glance. Kana nodded.

"We have to step up our game."


	5. Chapter 5

_13th Ward CGC Branch_

 _One month later_

Arino stared at his reflection in the mirror, utterly perplexed. Something was different here. He stood before the large reflective surface that covered a section of the room's wall, shirt off. Roshi walked over and grinned at this sight. Arino turned to him.

"What's different about me?" He asked. Roshi laughed, then stopped abruptly.

"Oh you're serious." He walked over to stand next to the shorter man. "Well, for one thing, you aren't fat anymore." Arino's eyes widened as he scanned over his body again.

"Oh my gosh you're right!" The flab that had softened his form a mere month ago had disappeared. "How'd that happen?" Roshi only chuckled and turned in the direction of the bathroom door, which had just opened.

"Maybe the same way that happened." He said, as Takeshi stood there with a towel around his waist, giving his roommates full view of his toned upper body. He scowled, reaching for his glasses on a small table.

"Can I help you?" He said in his usual neutral tone. Arino couldn't speak, a mild pink blush invading his face. Roshi clapped him on the shoulder and walked away. Takeshi shook his head. "Really. So unprofessional." Then he turned to Arino. "Get dressed or you will be late. I shouldn't need to remind you of this day's importance." This broke Arino from his daze.

"Of course!" He dashed off to get ready.

The girls were in a similar situation in their own dorm. Furine stood, half-dressed while Suzuku searched through a drawer.

"Throw me a shirt or something!" She said. Suzuku made an exasperated noise.

"I would if I could find any. What did you do with our clothes?" Finally, she found something and tossed it to the other woman. "We can't be late today." Suzuku reminded her. Furine, now clothed and quickly arranging her hair, nodded.

"Like you need to remind me! Only the most important day since we unfroze Suzuya-senpai. I'm so nervous!" Suzuku smiled to herself. None of them really had anything to worry about today but that didn't make it any less nerve-racking. After all, they were about to become something that hadn't existed in over a decade: Ghoul Investigators.

In fifteen minutes the five of them had assembled on the stage that had been set up in the main hall of the CGC building. The crowd was getting impatient as they stood there, lined up with Kagerou standing not far away. Suzuku discreetly checked her watch. Typical. Suzuya was late. After they had gone to so much trouble to be on time. _Not like the whole CGC is here or anything_ , she thought, annoyed. Finally, a high-pitched voice could be heard just offstage and approaching quickly.

"Sorry, sorry!" Juuzhou was saying, walking out into the middle of the stage to stand at a podium that was too tall for him. He looked considerably more polished than usual. He was wearing a very old-fashioned ceremonial uniform that he had probably found hidden in the back of some closet. His hair was striking, almost half white now, the red pins holding his bangs in place bright in the shape of the Roman numeral twenty. He attempted to adjust the angle of the microphone, only managing to make it fall to the floor quite loudly. He ended up just holding it in his hand, standing to the left of the podium and grinning at the assembled Agents.

"Hello!" He greeted them. "My name is Suzuya Juuzhou, if you didn't know already, and I'm a Ghoul Investigator." The crowd murmured. Some knew of what had been going on in the 13th Ward, but most didn't, and the revelation that a Ghoul Investigator had returned to the Commission was shocking. "I know you haven't really had any of those for a while, but that's going to change." Suzuya looked back at his disciples fondly. "It's going to change right now." He gestured to them with his free arm. "Starting today these kids behind me are Ghoul Investigators, as well as Agents of the Commission for Ghoul Control. They'll take on roles like the ones Investigators used to have, surveillance, tracking and ghoul elimination." The crowd was noisy again, as these were things that just didn't happen anymore, jobs they didn't need to do anymore. Though most of them knew that ghouls were starting to act up again. "Our first field operation will take place this evening. We've received information that a lot of ghouls are gathering in the 20th Ward." Behind him on stage, the new Investigators faces showed their surprise. He hadn't told them about this. Suzuya kept smiling as he finished his speech. "I'm confident in my students as all of you should be. We can get the ghouls back under control. It's great to be working for the Commission again. Thank you!" The gathered Agents applauded. Juuzhou bowed, as did the others on stage. Arino, standing back up, swallowed nervously. Things had just gotten real.

* * *

 _20th Ward_

Sasaki stood on the platform and tried to look impressive. There were a few hours left before he would stand on this stage and declare himself leader of his generation. He had to get into that headspace, maybe not so much a 'one-eyed king' as some kind of prince. Akira, who was checking the wires between the microphone and speakers, walked over to her brother.

"If it helps, I think you look quite intimidating." Sasaki smiled tiredly in her direction.

"Thanks. I hope the hundreds of ghouls coming here later agree." Kana, walking up to the front of the improvised stage, threw a duffel bag at him. He jumped to catch it. She smiled at him.

"That's your outfit for tonight. I hope you don't mind, we took some liberties." Sasaki peeked into the bag.

"Is that a vest?" Kana huffed when he asked.

"It's a waistcoat. There's a tie to match. It goes with your mask." Sasaki smiled a bit as he remembered Uta showing up at their apartment to give them the masks. Mari had been so excited. The older ghoul had made them each try theirs on. Mari and Akira received similar masks, covered in swirls like butterfly wings. Mari's was pink and blue, Akira's dark purple. Shenji's was black, shaped like the face of a dog with pointed ears and shiny white fangs. Kana's was a visual representation of her half-breed heritage, one side light orange and covered in stars, the other dark blue with a grin of pointed teeth. She loved it. Sasaki unwrapped his last. It was white, not unlike his father's but without the eyepatch. The mouth was a suture line, unlike the teeth on Kaneki's, and four metal studs decorated the jawline. When he put it on, he felt as if his father was with him, watching with pride. He felt that way again, imagining himself standing on this stage, in these clothes, becoming the person he had always hoped to become. Kana's interjection snapped him back to reality. "What do you think?" She asked. Sasaki smiled at her.

"I think this will be great."

* * *

 _A few hours later_

The underground throbbed with the loud music and the yells of the gathered multitude. Mari peeked around the edge of the stage.

"That's a lot of ghouls." She said. It was. It had to be more than four hundred, all of them young, raised under the system they had learned to hate. Not too far behind her, Sasaki breathed it in. He was all dressed up, a black waistcoat over a white shirt. He fussed with the tie, white with a finely embroidered centipede coiling over it. He narrowed his eyes as they shifted into red on black. The music faded away, and with one final deep breath, Sasaki pulled the mask up onto his face and stepped into the reddish spotlight. He walked slowly out into the middle of the stage, picked up the microphone and spoke.

"Hello," The crowd quieted at his voice. "Good evening to all my fellow Jackals." There was a cheer as he said this, calling them by the name they had chosen for themselves. "It's wonderful to see so many of you here. Most of you are familiar with my father, the legend known as the one-eyed king." Sasaki paused, gripping the microphone close to his face. "I am not him. I'm no king. I can't be a king without subjects, after all!" He paused there and held the microphone high as the crowd roared. He smiled under the mask. "Thank you. We've lived our lives under a system that holds us down. They keep us weak so they can live without worrying about us. Well," He laughed a little. "They'll be worrying about us after tonight. Because we're not hiding anymore!" His crowd cheered. "Starting now, I want all of you to be my subjects. And my subjects don't go hungry! They don't let themselves be opressed. Most of all, my Jackals are proud! Yes!" He yelled to them and they screamed back. "I am your Prince! Thank you!" His speech, which would come to be known as the Royal Adress, was finished. He stepped back, and at that moment, someone landed on the stage.

In the support beams above the stage, the young Investigators watched as Juuzhou stood from his crouch. The ghoul who had been giving the speech watched from a meter or so away as Juuzhou walked up to the microphone, tapped it once to check that it was on, then simply said:

"Hi. All you ghouls are about to die." He giggled, an unsettling, high-pitched sound, and then he turned to face the ghoul who still stood there. "You're all mine." Then he snapped his fingers.

"That's the signal!" Furine exclaimed. She jumped down, and her companions followed. The landed in rough semicircle around Suzuya. Takeshi tossed him his case, which he opened immediately. Now gripping the long handle of his quinque, he shot them a quick glance.

"You take the crowd. The ghouls up here are mine." He paused, then added a quick afterthought. "Try to save some of their kakuhou for quinques. You can't use those standard models forever!" Then he launched himself at his enemy. Takeshi opened one of the generic black cases, pointing the sword-shaped weapon that emerged from it at the roiling masses below.

"You heard the man." Then he jumped down. The others soon followed suit, Arino the last, casting one final look at his beloved sensei before leaping into his first real battle.

It was chaos. Ghouls running away, ghouls trying to fight. Five new Investigators receiving their baptism by blood, surrounded by enemies just as novice as them. Someone had turned the music back on, heavy guitar and rolling bass providing a soundtrack to the madness. Suzuya was enjoying himself, leaping and slashing with grace and brutality, laughing all the while. Sasaki was just barely staying alive, dodging the swings as best he could. He was way outmatched. _Is this what Doves are like?_ He wondered. There were barely any ghouls left alive who had fought against Doves. What Sasaki knew about them was based on stories and rumours left over from before he was born. He hadn't expected them to be accurate. _But this guy really can keep up, more than keep up, with me. He'll kill me if I'm not careful._ From behind him came backup, in the form of his cousin.

"Shenji!" Sasaki called as the blue-haired ghoul sailed over him. He was masked, his kakugan glowing from within the dark, doglike visage. Suzuya raised his quinque to block just in time, Shenji pushing off the blade with his foot and landing next to Sasaki.

"Who is this guy?" He exclaimed. Suzuya narrowed his eyes, tongue tip poking out between his grinning lips.

"Two now? Still not enough I'm afraid!" He charged them, his swing followed this time by a handful of thrown knives. Sasaki dodged narrowly again, as Shenji took advantage of the minuscule window to get behind their attacker. As fast as he could, he brought out his kagune. They swept out from his shoulders like the wings of a fallen angel, deep purple flecked with white. He prepared to strike, but Juuzhou was ready. He whirled at once. "Too slow!" And kicked Shenji hard, sending him flying right off the stage.

Arino was hardly aware of the stunned ghoul flying over him and landing hard somewhere on the cement floor. He was engaged in the most intense battle of his life. All around him, his fellows were fighting off ghouls, slashing and stabbing, dodging kagune strikes. A disembodied arm lay half a metre to his left. His quinque sword clashed again with his opponent's koukaku, leaving small dents that quickly disappeared. Arino was in a tight spot here. His opponent's defence didn't leave many openings. He would have to get creative. The ghoul prepared to strike again. This time Arino dodged, getting behind him and slicing the backs of his knees. He fell with a cry of pain that was cut short by Arino's blade through his neck. Arino pulled the sword back out and for a moment just stood there. My first extermination. It almost seemed unreal. Then came a strangled cry from behind him. He whirled around to see a dying ghoul with the tip of a sword poking out of his chest. The sword was pulled out and the ghoul fell.

"Don't get distracted or you will die." Takeshi said calmly. His eyes were narrowed behind his blood-spattered glasses. Arino could only nod, gripping his quinque tighter. He felt more confident remembering his teammates had his back, and returned to the fray with greater determination. This fight wasn't over yet.


End file.
